1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fire fighting tool. More particularly the present invention relates to a fire fighting tool for making a hole in a ceiling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art of fire fighting devices include the so-called pike poles. A pike pole is generally provided with a straight sharpened piercing portion which is used to initially batter holes in ceilings and a hook-shaped portion that is spaced a short distance from the pointed portion and which is used to grip portions of the ceiling and pull it away to expose the fire within.
While these so-called pike poles have been used for a great length of time by fire fighters, they have been subject to some criticism because they are able to poke only a small hole in the ceiling and when the hook portion is used to pull the ceiling backwards oftentimes only a small portion of the ceiling breaks away because the hook portion is not large enough to contact a great enough area of the ceiling to permit a large opening to be made.
There exists therefore a need for a penetration and pulling tool that would enable fire fighters to remove large ceiling sections without having to make multiple penetrations therein.
Numerous innovations for fire fighting tools have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address however they differ from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,288 to Clemens teaches a wrecking tool for piercing wall and ceiling surfaces and for enabling easy removal of sections thereof. The tool performs a number of functions, including piercing, chipping, prying, gouging, tearing, and also can be used as a lever for removing trim and for forcing open doors and doors.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,793 to Sinnot teaches a fire fighting device for breaking holes in ceilings, walls, and the like. A battering and cutting edge extends downwardly from a pointed tip, and a horizontal or bottom blade extends perpendicular to the axis of an adapting means which is attached to the blade portion and to a pole for gripping by the fire fighter. The bottom blade includes a fulcrum spaced away from the tip a first distance and protruding below the bottom cutting edge to thereby allow the battering and cutting means to pivot securely for use in pulling down walls and removing sections of ceilings. The cutting blade is heavy gauge metal which includes a contoured portion that permits the pole-attached adapter to be nested therein for purposes of securely attaching the adapter to the cutting blade by a filler metal.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,623 to Williams teaches a fire fighting tool having a flat blade with a pointed leading end for piercing through structural panels, a plurality of stop teeth members for engaging a structural panel that has been pierced to defeat facile withdrawal of the tool, and a plurality of rib teeth members for sawing through the panels when the tool is reciprocated along its longitudinal axis. The stop teeth members are positioned at an angle relative to the rip teeth members and allow the fire fighter to easily maintain the tool in an overhead configuration when it is used to remove ceiling panels because the angle of the stop teeth members results in a hooking action so that the ceiling supports the weight of the tool to some extent. Since the stop teeth members defeat inadvertent withdrawal of the blade, the fire fighter need not make multiple penetrations of the ceiling panels or other structural member being removed by the tool.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,183 to Allison teaches a fire fighter""s tool for cutting through ceiling and wall panels which includes a base shaft within which telescoping expandable tubular sections are stored. The base shaft carries a power cord reel, counterbalance, and a control handle. A retractable power cord extends through the core of the extendable tubular sections to a motor mounted at the distal end of the outermost telescoping tubular section. The motor is encased within a waterproof enclosure and the shaft of the motor turns concentrically with the axis of the extendable tubular shafts. Gears and belt driving means connect the motor to a transverse shaft rotating a circular cutting blade on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the extendable tubes. The blade is provided with a pair of fan-like shields spring biased to substantially enclose the blade when it is not actively cutting, but which retract to expose the blade when slight pressure is applied thereto when the tool is in use.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for fire fighting tools have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address however they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
ACCORDINGLY AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fire fighting tool for making a hole in a ceiling that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fire fighting tool for making a hole in a ceiling that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fire fighting tool for making a hole in a ceiling that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fire fighting tool for making a hole in a ceiling. The tool includes a body, a hook, and a handle. The body has a first terminal end and a second terminal end. The hook has a working area and is disposed on the first terminal end of the body and pierces the ceiling so as to form a piercing. The handle is pivotally mounted to the second terminal end of the body and has a normal position in which it extends perpendicularly outwardly from both sides of the body to assist in the piercing.